Son of Sin
by AntiPixie
Summary: AU: Son of Sin is a popular band with an abusive lead singer. Can her love cure him? Or will she become his next victim? TidusxYunaAuronxRikku. R for domestic violence, drug use, and sexual themes. Edited for re-posting.
1. Chapter 1

**Son of Sin**

**Summmary:**  
AU: Son of Sin is a popular band with an abusive lead singer. Can her love cure him? Or will she become his next victim? TidusxYuna/AuronxRikku. R for violence and sex. 

**Warning and Disclaimer which will serve for all chapters:**  
This story is gratuitous. Completely and utterly gratuitious. There's violence, sex, abuse, screaming, drug use, depression, angst... everything you'd find in a crappy made-for-HBO movie about American youth. You have been warned. Despite all this crap, I own nothing involving Final Fantasy X, Square-Enix, or any of its affiliates. I do, however, own my developed ideas of the original FFX characters. Also, _ALL SONGS QUOTED IN THIS STORY ARE MY OWN POETRY. STEAL THEM, AND I PROMISE, YOU WILL DIE_. 'Nuff said. 

**Author's notes:**  
Italics are not thoughts,lyrics, or flashbacks to things that have been said in the past. Tidus' voice when he's pissed off is supposed to be read as if it's Shuyin's voice. And yes, there is a reason he's so OOC. A very real reason that isn't explored in-game, so I'm exploring it in this fic. Enjoy.

* * *

_"When you wake up, who are you?"_

The music began to swell in Lulu's soul, fingers nearly caught in the strings of the black-lacquer electric lapharp but she was playing fast enough to untangle herself and oh, nothing else mattered but this. She followed the cues that came at the corner of her eye. He sank to his knees, he rose again, a practiced choreography of live performance. One could almost say she loved him in a way, though she felt neither physical or emotional attraction to the man. What she loved was his voice. He strained at every note, felt the strains of melody inside him, and when he belted out the words to the songs she wrote, she felt like it was a kind of sex. Like every recording they made was a child to be nurtured and adored. 

_"Are you an animal? A mass of organs and flesh, with no thought or feeling, only primal instincts? Eat. Sleep. Ps. St. Fk."_

Not that she'd ever even consider having sex with someone like that. Matter of fact, she hated the man as a person. She despised him. Though she'd known the boy for years, he was a complete asshole, and he was terrible to his current girlfriend, their drummer Rikku. As it was, most of the group suspected that she wasn't happy with him, but she was too afraid to let him go. Despite the bruises that now and then lined her legs. Despite the thin vertical scar that marred her tiny wrist, an attempt at suicide, she still claimed to love him. Rikku was only fifteen. Far too young to be forced into such a relationship. 

_"Or are you a human? A creative and energetic being, more god than creature? Dream. Create. Live. Contemplate."_

Lulu almost felt sorry for the new songstress they'd hired on as a second lead. Certainly, the young woman's popularity as a classically-trained singer and pianist was second only to Son of Sin's popularity as an alternative rock group. Bringing Yuna into Song of Sin was one of the best decicions they'd ever made, and it was all thanks to Rikku, since the woman was her first cousin. She was a personable girl who Lulu had met several times before, in their mutual hometown of Besaid. Wakka, Lulu's boyfriend and the band's bass player, had also grown up there. In fact, Wakka's friendship with Tidus and their similar love for the machina guitar (not to mention Blitzball) was why they'd formed the band. And Lulu, well, she was dragged along. Not that she minded. Despite her relationship with the bassist, she had her own horde of fanboys. If Wakka wasn't certain to freak out, she'd have accepted the Spiran Gentlemen Magazine's offer to take nude pictures. An entire spread just on the infamous raven-haired, red-eyed rock harpist. It would have made her a fortune. 

_"When you wake up, are you a man? Or are you..."_

Luckily, the songstress Yuna hadn't yet arrived. Their lead singer still hadn't thrown his temper tantrum of the day, and Lulu was hoping against hope that poor Yuna wouldn't have to sit through it on her first day of practice. Ugh. Lulu set her hands down, waiting through her few-measures rest and taking the time just to glower at the man. Stupid fucking Tidus. One day, he'd ruin this opportunity for everyone. 

_"Or are you..."_

"ARE YOU A COMPLETE MORON?" he screamed, throwing the mike stand to the cement floor of their warehouse in uptown Luca. The music halted at its crash, and Lulu calmly placed her hands in her lap, balancing the harp between her legs. "You've gotten that line ENTIRELY WRONG!" There he went again, going off on Rikku. Lulu's painted lips pursed in disgust. Rikku only looked down at her lap, drumsticks clutched tightly in her small hands. 

"I'm sorry, Ty," she mumbled. "I'll get it right this time. M'just distracted, what with Yunie coming in today and all." She tried a smile on him. It was a pretty smile, pale coral lips stretched wide around straight pearl teeth. A pretty smile. Just rather fake. "Aren't you excited?" 

He stared at her for a few moments, and dragged a hand through his hair. Though Tidus Shuyi was naturally a dark-complected brunette due to his Zanarakandan father, Jecht Shuyi, he'd bleached himself a stunningly bright shade of blonde. He'd been blessed with upward-slanting blue eyes, though, a gift from his late mother, who had been from Bevelle. Those features, combined with an athletic body and an always-open black dress shirt, served to make him a very attractive man. It was no wonder Rikku had agreed to date him after their first few practice sessions. Unfortunately, he was also... well, a jerk. 

"Excitement is no excuse to slack off in the beat. If you lose it, so does everyone else in the group. And don't fucking call me Ty. I hate that. If you want this no-talent hack cousin of yours to join this band, then you better stay on-track, woman." His voice seemed so flat during these tirades. When he was happy, he was as squeaky and excitable as his girlfriend. But those times were becoming more and more rare, lately. Instead, the insults flew from his mouth like vomit at least once per practice, sometimes twice, in that deep toneless accent. And they were almost always aimed at Rikku. 

From the the other side of the room came the growl of a very pissed-off dog, which halted the man's tirade. Tidus turned to look toward the warehouse door, and standing there with a challenging flash in its black eyes was the most regal Wolfhound any of them had ever seen. He was so deep a gray that he was almost blue, and was so tall that he could have opened the doorknob with his teeth to let himself in. Around his neck was a handmade, beaded blue collar, accented by what looked like eagle feathers hanging from a gold nametag. And, apparently, he did not like what he was hearing. 

"Oh Khimari, be good," said a voice from behind the dog. A girl then walked into the room, hand at her neck in an obvious gesture of nerves. She was dressed simply, in a long blue skirt printed with white flowers, black cowboy boots, a loose-fitting white blouse. Her facial features seemed to be touched by the same Al Bhed blood that ran through Rikku's veins, and brown hair fell in soft waves that framed her face. Yet somehow, her eyes were her most distinctive feature. Even across the room, the group could see that her eyes were divided in color, one the grass green of her Al Bhed lineage, one the bright ocean blue of the Bevellese. As she bowed to them, even Tidus held a respectful silence. "Good day. I am Yuna Len of Besaid. I am honored to meet you all." 

Wakka snickered, but since they'd attended the same high school, the girl didn't seem to mind. "Hey, don be so formal, ya? We all gonna be workin' together, might as well leave off wit da ceremony an' junk." The bassist scratched his head, clearly as happy as everyone else for the reprieve from Tidus's bitching. Letting his bass hang from the strap around his shoulders, he grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the stool next to him and lit up, taking the moment to relax. After a few puffs, he passed it to Lulu, who also indulged. Luckily, he didn't mind getting his girlfriend's lipstick all over the filter. 

Rikku, though, grinned and jumped up from her set, running over to pounce her cousin in a tight hug. "Yunie, I'm so glad you're here!" the golden blonde squealed, bouncing on her toes before reaching down to pat Khimari on the head. The wolfhound just stood there, silent and watchful, hardly paying attention to Rikku at all. Instead, he looked toward Tidus. If it were possible for a dog to narrow its eyes in contempt, this one would have. 

Tidus snorted, shaking his head. "All right, all right, break it up. Rikku, leave Lady Len alone. Now that she's here, I'd say it's time for her to show us what she can do on the mike." Speaking of which, the mike was still on the floor. He reached over to pick it up as if nothing had happened, raising a brown eyebrow to Yuna when she looked over. Challenging her before she could question his action. "Unless you want to warm up first?" 

"I'd like that, thank you" murmured the girl. For a songstress, her voice was awfully soft and meek. According to Lulu, though, she'd been a rather sheltered girl all her life. Her father had been overly-protective of her. He hadn't taught her about the birds and the bees until she'd begun her first period, and even then it was only to quell her sudden (and considering the situation of Spira at the time, rather understanadable) fears that she was dying. 

Apparently, Dr. Braska Len been afraid that she would come into contact with Sin, the deadly virus that had plagued Spira for a literal millenia. It had been impossible to detect, impossible to treat, and everyone who came into contact with the virus ended up either dead in seconds or insane, their memories eaten away by a toxin produced by their own glands. Rikku's parents had both died from it, as had Wakka and Lulu's. The band's name was one of the main reasons they were considered so extreme, simply for associating itself with the cause of Spira's suffering. And Dr. Braksa Len, well... while he was working on a cure, using a combination of white magic and natural chemicals, he came into contact with the virus. He'd finally created an antivirus and immunization which he'd named Calm, but not until after he'd already become so infected that the cure would no longer work on him. His contribution to medical science had ended the epidemic, and all of Spira had been immunized against any strain of Sin ever produced. It was another reason for Yuna Len's popularity, and likely this inherited fame was the reason Tidus didn't pay much attention to the girl outside of Rikku's offer for her to join. After all, duets were all the rage right now. 

For now, Tidus looked the girl over, taking her in from eyes to feet, not to mention taking note of her guard dog. After a few moments, apparently satisfied that she'd work as an image, he turned to the band and said, "Take five, guys." To Yuna, he nodded, stepping away from the mike stand so that he could plop into a chair in front of the band. "Whenever you're ready, Lady Len. Warm up as long as you like, then sing something. Popular, preferably. None of that Gagazet opera crap I've heard you do on the radio." 

A gruff voice came from the second level of the warehouse. "That 'Gagazet opera crap' to which you are so ignorantly referring, boy, is worth more in artistic and cultural value than all five of your albums combined." Auron, the manager for Son of Sin, decended the stairs. As always, he wore his black designer Bevelle Fog trenchcoat even indoors, the thick cloth falling loosely over a red dress shirt and gray slacks. It even covered the thin black ponytail he'd kept growing for years. When he stopped at the bottom floor, he inclined his head politely to Yuna, before pushing a pair of sunglasses up along the bridge of his nose. They were the only things obscuring a long scar that ran over his right eye, down to his collarbone. "Good day, Lady Len. I thank you for coming." 

Yuna blinked, then clapped her hands together in sudden excitement, the most jubilant display she'd made since she'd entered the building. "Mr. Auron! I know you. You were the one who did all of that research with my father! I'm so glad to meet you!" she cried, bowing once again. 

"Indeed," he murmured, shoving his hands into his pockets. His one good eye glittered in amusement at her reaction. "Though to be honest, I wish I could have worked more quickly. It may have spared us some grief. Sin touched both our lives. I simply escaped with mine, thanks to the Calm your father gave us. This scar the virus left me is a constant reminder of his sacrifice." 

"Yes..." Yuna trailed off, the placid depths of her eyes darkening at the mention of Sin. She had lost her father to the virus so recently that it still drew a shiver from her bones. But Auron... he was like her own personal celebrity. In his presence, she couldn't show sadness. She was here to do a job, after all, and do it she would. With a quick flash of a smile, she pulled a metronome from the pocket of her skirt. It blared out an A-440 and she took the note, practicing a few scales and consonant exercises while the rest of the group seated themselves next to Tidus on folding chairs. Auron alone remained standing. 

Once the girl was ready, she took a deep breath and stood behind the mike. A popular song, hm? Well... this was a dark rock group. May as well go with the one song of theirs she really liked. The one with the winding melody, political overtones. The one that Tidus Shuyi sang with such passion, so that he nearly wept the last lines. She sang it differently, of course, but... well. Right. She was putting it off far too long. _Yuna, be strong! Case of nerves, begone!_ she repeated to herself, a stage fright mantra she used often. A breath. Here goes. 

_

If everything is made of feeling,  
My edge is all left to me:  
The razor used to bleed me,  
Used to bleed by itself,  
And now it needs help.

_

I thought it an empire  
Tumbling from the sky  
With torn and faded banners,  
Crumbling to dust;  
Dust so fine my hair is white,  
False wrinkles caked with age.  
My empire is great  
My kingdom as vast as yours,  
But our people are now the dust of centuries  
Lost through misdirection.  
If my empire is made of truth,  
It is slipping fast.

If everything is made of feeling,  
My edge is all left to me:  
The razor used to bleed me,  
Used to bleed by itself,  
And now it needs help.

I thought I saw my empire  
Tumbling from the sky,  
But it was yours:  
Your crumbling kingdom of despair  
Where you'd spent your rage  
On the court fool  
And ordered a new one each day.

Have I subtracted your boredom,  
Your misgivings?

Grow used to this misery.  
You may borrow my dusty empire for the hour. 

Once she was finished, the room rang with silence, final echoes of her voice ringing in her own ears. Everyone was staring, silent. Well of course, Auron was always silent, but this was particular. And Tidus... he was staring at her so hard, she thought her head would explode. _He must have hated it,_ she thought to herself, setting the mircophone back down and lowing her eyes for a moment. But something bothered her. There was no hate in his eyes. No jealousy. Nothing negative. In fact, despite everything she'd heard about him, he seemed to be... pleased, maybe. His lips were parted, torso leaning forward. And the blue in his eyes seemed to glow just a little bit, sparkle a little bit. In that moment, he was bright and beautiful. Yuna could easily see why her cousin was in love with him. It would be so easy... to sink... 

"God. For a skinny chick, Yuna, you sure do belt it out!" Rikku giggled, clapping enthusiastically. The rest of the group joined in her applause quickly, a rain-patter sound of five people clapping. Even Auron, a slight smirk gracing his stubbled face, deigned to pull his hands from his trenchcoat pockets and applauded Yuna's performance. 

Lulu smiled. The girl had done well. Her voice was strong and true, as powerful as the strength of her heart. She'd even left Tidus speechless, the boy's lips still parted. "So, Shuyi, can she stay?" 

Tidus managed to smile, shaking his head. He had a sweet smile, Yuna noticed. And his eyes... they were so clear. They twinkled as he looked at her, and she couldn't help but smile back, clasping her hands modestly behind herself. "Hell yeah, she can say," he cried out, his voice breaking with his excitement. "Welcome to the team, Yuna. Welcome to S.O.S.!" 


	2. Chapter 2

**

Son of Sin: Chapter 2

**

**Summary:**  
AU: Son of Sin is a popular band with an abusive lead singer. Can her love cure him? Or will she become his next victim? TidusxYuna, AuronxRikku. Rated R for violence, language, and (consentual) sex. 

**Warning and Disclaimer:**  
See Chapter 1. 

**Author's notes:**  
Just like last time, italics are thoughts, lyrics, or flashbacks to things that have been said (or written!) in the past. Tidus' voice when he's pissed off is supposed to be read as if it's Shuyin's voice. And yes, there is a reason he's so OOC. A very real reason that isn't explored in-game, so I'm exploring it in this fic. That's the last time I'm going to forewarn of this, so be prepared. This story is violent.

* * *

_"All I know is, this isn't a dream. This is all too real."_

For once, everything seemed perfect. It really was a beautiful night. The crickets were alive with song just outside the front window of their one-bedroom. The air was perfectly still outside, and as she rested her head on her folded arms, letting her face soak in the moonlight, she felt like a princess. Her Prince Charming was just behind her, sitting quietly in a recliner with a book in his hands, the sterio on but with the volume turned way down. Soft jazz fluttered through the apartment. She'd cooked dinner, and he actually complimented her on the fish fillets she'd pan-fried. He was happy and excitable and he'd picked her up in the kitchen when she added a handful of angelhair pasta to the boiling water, twirling her around. And his voice... that was the voice of the person she'd met so long ago. The person she'd wanted to be near always. 

They'd met one year ago, at a sort of Battle of the Bands in Luca. He lived there, of course, playing guitar and singing with a terrible group of Macalania musicians. Horn, harp, and drum, that's all those people ever played. It got boring. Everyone was so tired of them. Of course, Rikku played the drums as well, but she hoped she did a better job than banging with oven mitt-covered hands on a single snare tied to her chest. She traveled all the way from Sanubia to enter the contest with her own group of Al Bhed performers, none of whom were all that good either. 

He saw her, surprisingly enough. Though she'd heard of him on the radio (constantly, in fact, while she'd been driving to the competition - Tidus Shuyi was overplayed on so many stations it was ridiculous), she had never seen him in person. The fact that he'd be attending a paltry band competition like this one had simply amazed her. But there he was, standing next to a blitzball fanatic and electric bass player named Wakka, checking her out while she tapped a random beat on a metal pole with her sticks between sets. She hadn't even noticed him at first. 

"Hey," he'd called, walking up behind her. "Mind if I flirt with you until you walk away?" It was probably the smoothest, most honest pick-up line the girl had ever heard. 

She turned around to say yes then gasped, her brain refusing to connect to her lips as she babbled. "Ohmygod! Do you know who you are? Brother has a CD, you'reyou're you!" Right, Rikku, real smart. The most gorgeous, famous guy you've ever met just asked to flirt with you, and you asked him if he knew who he was! 

He laughed, letting the notes of his voice carry free into the wind. But when he finished having fun at her expense, he bent forward, a winning smile shining on his face. "Hello there. What's your name?" he asked, his voice a murmur, as low as a cat's purr. 

And, like a good fangirl, she'd clasped her hands, eyelids demurely flicking down, half-closed over the black swirls of her pupils. Her cheeks were so red. "Rikku." 

And, like a silly puppy, he'd grabbed both of her hands and started to shake them, his face blossoming into a huge grin. "Whoa! You really do understand!" When she'd punched his shoulder for the comment, he'd rubbed it and smirked as if in approval. "Sorry. I just had to know whether Al Bhed chicks understood the concept of flirting. Clearly, they already understand the concept of..." He paused as dramatically as he could manage, giving her body a very obvious once-over. "...of beauty," the boy finished. When Rikku had just rolled her eyes at him and walked away, he'd given chase. They passed the day hanging out with Wakka, talking about music and blitzball and the silly trivialities of life that young people find so important. It had been a perfect day, that wound into a perfect evening. After doing their sets and losing to a group of death-metal performers who played a roaring song called "Otherworld," Tidus had suggested they all form up, leaving their less talented bandmates behind. And Rikku, well, how could she say no? There were other drummers out there. Probably better ones. And who wouldn't kill to have a spot in a new band started up by Tidus Shuyi himself? 

And this evening, she remembered why she'd agreed to it. Why she'd agreed to join his band and stay in Luca. Why she'd agreed to share his bed until she could get one of her own. Why she'd never left his bed. 

He could be so wonderful. So achingly beautiful in whatever he did. And now, watching him reading with his right ankle balanced on his left knee, reading glasses resting on the bridge of his nose (no one knew he wore them but her), black shirt open to reveal the cut of his chest and the shine of his silver Zanarkand Abes pendant. Now, with his bleached locks falling in front of his face, caught in the long dark lashes that made fangirls swoon. Now, with his ocean-blue eyes glowing from the day's work. Now... she wanted him. 

_"The pain. The smell. The taste in your mouth."_

Rikku closed the window, reached up to tug on the string that let the miniblinds fall to the sill she'd been resting on. The doors were locked. No one was calling. No one was expected. "Tidus," she cooed, walking over and sitting on the couch next to his recliner. "You had a good day, hm?" 

"Yeah," he replied simply, turning a page. When she looked to see what he was reading, she couldn't help but smile. Salinger again. Why he loved _Catcher in the Rye_ so much, Rikku would never know. She'd tried reading it once, but it didn't seem to have any bearing on her life. And Tidus, he read it at least once a month. He spent more time reading it than he spent watching blitzball. 

"Whatcha think of Yunie?" she queried, in an attempt to draw him away from the book and into her eyes. After all, it may have been Yuna who'd pulled him out of his habitual funk. Her appearance had been the only change Rikku could think of in the day. And she was, after all, an amazing singer. After she'd been officially welcomed to the band, and had signed the appropriate documents with Mr. Auron, practice was a dream. They'd worked on "Of Empires and Fools" a few more times so that Tidus and Yuna could sync their voices and rhythms, and Tidus even managed to sink into the low harmony of the song. Then they'd moved onto a few newer songs, like "Girl in the Tower," "White Witch Praised," and "Dear Diary." When Yuna asked what the lattermost song meant, and was told it was written about masturbation... boy, was her face red! Rikku giggled to think of it. Even Lulu's face had cracked into an uncharacteristic grin. 

"She's good," Tidus finally replied, licking his finger before turning the next page. "Better than I thought she'd be, for an opera singer. Remind me tomorrow to pick up a keyboard from the sound station on the way to the warehouse. Let's see if she can play rock as well as sing it." His head tilted back then, and he slipped the glasses off to stick the tip in his mouth, tapping the plastic on his lower teeth. "Shit, I should probably see if I can do an arrangement on a few things tonight. I doubt she can improv. Time is it, Rikku?" 

She turned to the stereo and scanned the glowing blue digits. "Just a little after eight. You have time to do... other things." She trailed her index finger over the bridge of his nose and tapped his lips, as if to encourage a smile on his face to match her own. "Like spend some, ahh, quality time with me?" 

_"It's real, and there's no way to go but forward."_

Tidus rolled his eyes and set the well-worn book on the coffee table before them. "Not now that I realize I have work to do. You have a dildo. If you're horny, use it." He stood, slipping the folded glasses into a pocket and crossing over to his work station. The metal chunk of a file cabinet opening was the only sound she heard out of him, and as he riffled through a few folders for a stack of staff paper and his other arrangements, the ones his bandmates didn't need anymore, Rikku started to get angry. 

"Look," she said, standing up and walking over to him, "I said I wanted to spend some time with you. I'm not that horny, I just want to be with you. Is that really so much to ask?" 

Tidus sighed, a hard sound, and slammed the file cabinet shut. "At the moment, yes. I don't interrupt you when you're tinkering with machines, so it'd be nice if you wouldn't interrupt me when I'm working. And try to keep in mind what I'm working on, hm? Arrangements for Yuna? Your beloved cousin? Try to keep your pants on for a few hours, and maybe I'll oblige you. But not now." His voice was flat again. Toneless. Unexcited and almost completely apathetic in every way. The voice of the person inside of him who she didn't love, couldn't love. The person she'd grown to hate. 

_"You know what you have to do."_

"Jeez, Tidus, it's not always about sex, you know? It's about... love. You know, don't you? You remember how happy we were, just lying together sometimes? Just cuddling after? I swear to bob, for the last like half a year you haven't even touched me with anything like love. It's just been fucking, for gods' sake, I don't think you've even kissed me once" 

_"You have to..."_

"That's enough!" he yelled, his eyes dangerously narrow, his lips suddenly thin and cruel. Just to silence her, he stood and grabbed her wrist, yanking it so that she was forced to slam into him, chest to chest. "You want me to touch you, I'll fuckin' touch you." 

_"You have to..."_

"Ty..." she squeaked out, backing up a step, or trying. She was winded from crashing into him, but she had to... he was looking at her like that again... gods, not again, he was going to... she couldn't stop him... "Don't look at me like that. I'll leave you alone. Go ahead, work on the arrangements. I'm sorry I interrupted you, I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry..." 

Her whining was just making it worse. She was pleading, she was scared, but she still wasn't shutting up. She was still talking, talking, shitting at the mouth, and it was going to drive him mad. So quite simply, he grabbed her by the throat, and threw her. And though he hadn't meant to throw her anywhere in particular, just away from him, she ended up getting slammed against his desk, right into the line of the wood. There was a thunk and a crack, and Rikku slid to the floor. 

_"You have to kill..."_

She laid there for a while, still and silent and crumpled. He could tell she was alive, of course. The faint rise and fall of her breath. The tiny twitch in her neck of an artery pumping blood. Blood that ran down the back of her neck, seeping a little from a cut in her scalp. But of course, head cuts always bleed the worst. She was just playing dead. It kept her quiet. 

And in his mind, a small voice screamed, _Stay down, bh. Just stay down. Stay down. Play dead. Don't get up. Don't move. Nothing will happen to you if you just don't move. Stay down. Play dead. If he thinks your'e dead... he'll go away. Won't he?_ Tidus turned and sat down in his chair, the normal squeak of its movement as it bore his weight a comfort. His heartbeat began to slow, and as calmly as he could, he slipped his reading glasses on, picked up the staff paper to begin an arrangement. 

There was a rustling behind him, and he thought nothing of it. He was lost by then. Lost in melody and harmony, rhythm and the soft clack of fingers on wood, pretending that his desk was a keyboard so that he could imagine her notes in his mind, piece them together with the rest of the music. And when the bedroom door opened, he thought nothing of it, changing an A-flat to a B-minor, dusting away bits of the eraser he'd used to correct himself. And the only thing that changed his mind about ignoring his girlfriend completely

Was the slamming of the front door. He looked up, jarred from his work, and blinked. Set his pencil down. When he stood up, his eye caught the thin pool of blood that had seeped into the carpet. 

Tidus blinked. And blinked. And wiped away the wetness on his face, but it wouldn't stop coming. Even when he ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind him, crawling into the tub with all his clothes on, hiding from the bloodstain, it wouldn't stop coming. It only stopped when he slammed his head back into the tile, hard enough to daze him, hard enough to minorly compensate for the damage he'd done to her. It stopped the flow of saltwater pouring down his face. It nearly sent him to sleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

**

Son of Sin: Chapter 3

**

**Summary:**  
AU: Son of Sin is a popular band with an abusive lead singer. Can her love cure him? Or will she become his next victim? TidusxYuna, AuronxRikku. Rated R for violence, language, and (consentual) sex. 

**Warning and Disclaimer:**  
See Chapter 1.

* * *

Auron had learned long ago that, in order to keep an eye on his adopted son, it was necessary to live near him. So despite his hatred for the neighborhood, the man always remained in the same crummy apartment complex, a high-rise half an hour from the Mi'hen Highroad. The apartment itself was peaceful, though, with a good view of the stadium and the ocean beyond. Besides, living on the fourth floor gave Auron a sense of peace that he didn't get from staying down in the Lucan metropolis. This sense of peace was only broken when he knew the kid had done something stupid. Again. 

Tidus Shuyi's guardian had a kind of sixth sense about the boy. The older man had saved the kid numerous times, from self-mutilation and suicide, from gang fights and flat-out stupidity. Once he'd shown up at Tidus's car door, dragging the boy from the wheel. The boy's arms were absolutely blue with cactuar needles. Probably Wakka had stunned one, and they'd gotten high together, but Wakka was passed out on the couch. If the kid had tried to drive in that condition, he'd have been dead before he saw the other car. 

This time, though, it was different. Auron paused as he started for bed, finger on the lightswitch, and blinked. Something happened, but he hadn't seen it coming. Something bad. He had to go, now. 

Four minutes later, he was driving slowly by Tidus's building, eyes narrowed. Things seemed peaceful enough, but that was just the outside. It was dark, the lights were on. A blur of motion inside, and he could see Tidus walking from the bathroom to the living room, back to his desk. The kid looked shaken, but all right. Not physically harmed, anyway. What could it be? 

Auron was about to shut off the engine and go ask Tidus himself, but then his peripheral vision caught a flash of reflective orange, and he knew what happened. Rikku was walking along the sidewalk, apparently heading nowhere in particular. Green skirt, orange shirt with a chain of little bicycle-triangle reflectors dangling from between her shoulderblades like a tail. Lucky choice of wardrobe, girl. He lowered his passenger window and drove until he was putting along beside her, looking straight ahead. Slow enough that she could recognize him and tell him to just fuck off or pop open the door and get in the car. 

Rikku started, drew back a little when she realized that the headlights were slowing down next to her. Her arms twitched, fingers itching to reach the pocketknife in the pocket of her skirt, and she skidded a little away from the sidewalk. But then, that car. It was a black Coeurl, complete with a little silver statue of the big cat on the hood. Made by the Rin manufacturing plant. She used to know its chocobopower, but those car facts were forgotten along with her obsession with nice rides. Such a classy car in such a crappy neighborhood, though, it could only be one person. And sure enough, there was Mr. Auron, sitting in the driver's seat, one hand on the wheel and the other tapping an open cigarette box against his thigh. She breathed a sigh of relief, let the pocketknife stay in place, and opened the car door to slip in. 

"Where to, my Lady?" came the gruff voice. He tapped the break and brought the already slow-moving car to a stop, lifting out a clove cigarette and handing it to her along with a lighter. She took it in trembling hands, cast a weak Fire on the tip, and brought it to her lips. Auron really was a good guy, as intimidating as he could be sometimes. He knew everyone's preferences. Knew that Rikku liked cloves but not regular cigarettes. Knew that Lulu's monthly craving was noodles with shrimp. Knew how to diffuse Tidus. Tidus... 

She started crying. She couldn't help it, and once it started, the emotion just kept pouring out, and she felt like a fountain. She wailed and put the cigarette out and screamed, loud and long and nasal, into her hands. It was like her entire face was leaking frustration and rage and hurt and sorrow. She hardly noticed when the car started moving again, didn't notice when it stopped, hardly cared that she was in the garage of Auron's high-rise and that he was helping her out of her seat. At some point, he had pressed a towel into her hand, one that was sometimes used to wipe away the condensation from morning fog, so it was a little dirty and didn't like to fold out of its habitual position, but it was dry and it helped. Dimly, she found that her hand was in his, and that he was leading her up to his place. But it took too much energy of emotion to be grateful, and it was getting hard to think with the wet warmth on her head. She hoped she hadn't bled onto his car seat. That would be bad. He'd be upset. Not as upset as Tidus. Rikku made the connection, but only for a moment. Even when she was this distraught, she knew that forcing herself to link this situation to the one she'd just escaped would be masochistic. It'd just make her cry more. And that would be dumb. 

His apartment was nice. It was high, but the elevator ride was smooth, and there was a glass wall in it so that you could see the big tan supports for the stadium better and better as it rose. Inside his place, the walls were a soft cream color, and the lighting was nice and yellow, so the place looked warm and buttery when you went inside. Big bay windows showed another view of the stadium, and there were thick white lace curtains. A couple of red chenille armchairs sat on opposite sides of a mahogany bookcase. He didn't have a spherescreen. Probably he didn't watch much SV, or didn't care enough about it to get one. 

"Do you want me to dress that wound, or would you rather spend the night looking at my furniture?" Auron folded his arms and stared at her from the hallway. It wasn't so bad, he had a chance to look at it when she was still dazed on the ride up the elevator, but Tidus had definitely gone too far this time. The bruises on her neck made it obvious enough what had happened. The girl had to move out, and she wouldn't do it on her own. Maybe she could move in with her cousin. Yuna would never let a thing like this happen again. Neither would Auron, but of course, he could hardly be Rikku's guardian as well as Tidus's. Besides, Rikku was far too young and pretty a girl to live with an older man who was not her blood relation without raising suspicion. 

Then again, considering the tendency of the Al Bhed to marry within the family, being her blood relation wouldn't be a valid defense either. 

She nodded, still mute, and followed him into the bathroom, where he bent her over the sink to pour hydrogen peroxide onto the scalp wound. It wasn't bad. The skin was slit rather than peeled away, and it was a shallow slit at that, about the length of a fingernail. Nothing she'd need stitches for, but she wouldn't be able to put her hair up or lie on her back for at least a week. The bruises on her neck would have to be iced so the skin wouldn't swell too much, but he had a good cold compress in the freezer that would suffice. Auron told her as much, and brought her into the kitchen. While she held the compress to her neck, he started to make tea. She needed to talk. That was what the tea was for. Strawberry cream tea was her favorite. With honey, not sugar. He figured that once she had the tea, she'd feel better, and she'd start speaking logically, now that the emotional torrent was over. He was right. 

"Thank you. For picking me up. For everything. I'm sorry to be such a hassle." She sniffed a bit, breathed in the scent of her tea. Warmed her hands on it to keep the chill from the compress from freezing her entirely. 

Auron shook his head and sat down next to her at the kitchen bar, slipping easily onto the stool, stirring a metal tea strainer into his mug of hot water. Plain green tea, no sweetener. Strong. "No hassle at all. But Rikku, you need to address this issue now. No more putting it off. I know you love him, but this has gone too far." 

"I know. Don't you think I know that? That's why I left, you know?" She was definitely drained. He could hardly detect any emotion in her voice, not even to defend her actions. He'd even noticed some blood on the towel he'd taken back from her, but it was from her nose, not her head. She'd screamed herself to a nosebleed. Auron felt like his heart would break for the girl. 

"I know that's why you left, but you need to plan your next step. Rikku, you can't go back to him. You have before, you and I both know it. You need to move out, get away from him, be around him only during practices when your friends are by your side." He stared at her for a moment, tried to look stern, but she was just gazing blankly into her teacup. Rikku nodded, lifted her hand to stir the brownish liquid with her pinky. Auron just sighed. "What do you want to do? You could move in with Yuna. I'm sure she'd be glad to have you for a roommate." 

Rikku shook her head. "She would be, yeah. But she'd want to know why I moved away from Tidus. And once she knew that I was having problems with... abuse... well, Yunie is... I dunno." 

"She would distance herself from you." 

"Yeah." Rikku nodded, sipping her tea. It was wierd, how he could read people so easily. She had the feeling that if she asked him, he could give her a category of Yuna's personality traits, even though the man had just met her today. He'd have sensed the brunette's loyalty, her naivete, her frighteningly optimistic outlook on the world. He'd know all that in one look, one survey of Yuna's actions and words. How could he know that in one look? But Rikku's mind was wandering. 

"If you don't think you can move in with her, then what do you see as your other options?" 

"Um. I dunno. I can't move in with Wakka and Lulu. They have sex every night. I think she's trying to get pregnant so that he'll finally give up and marry her. My family, what's left of it, they're all in Sanubia. And, um. That's it. I think." She stole a quick glance at the silent man sitting next to her, and mumbled a last suggestion. "Unless I stay here." 

Auron paused, shocked into stillness. He wanted to say, "Out of the question," but the idea had some merit. He could protect the girl, it wouldn't be much of a drain on his time. And he had an extra bedroom. Unfortunately, some of the merit of the plan was dictated wholly by the second brain in his pants. A brain he refused to listen to at the moment. For now, he'd just pretend not to have heard her. "What about getting a place of your own? You're of legal age to do so, and you've got enough income to afford something nice, perhaps uptown. Maybe walking-distance from the studio?" 

But Rikku just shook her head. "No way. I'd be way too scared. I mean don't get me wrong, I can handle myself. I'm pretty tough if I need to be. But... I just... I don't want to be alone right now. Does that sound dumb?" 

Auron sighed. "No. Not at all." Damn. This would take some consideration. On the one hand, he'd have to try very hard to control some rather neglected hormones. On the other, she really needed him. She needed a calming presence in her life. She needed to be around someone she could trust to keep her safe. And, oh god, she was looking at him with those big green emerald puppy-dog eyes. Not the fake puppy-dog eyes of someone trying to get what she wants, but the real eyes of someone who has been deeply hurt and is truly in need of succor. "You can stay here. For a week. After that, we'll see." His eyes trailed to the satchel she'd dropped on the floor when she came in. He almost hadn't noticed it. "How much did you bring?" 

"Just a change of clothes. I just grabbed something from the closet," she said, obviously trying to keep her voice steady. Not that she was about to break down, but he'd made her a little too happy by offering to let her stay at his place. She was riding up an emotional rollercoaster. He could almost hear her squealing thankyouthankyouthankyou. But then if she did that, there was a chance she'd end up breaking down again, crying into his coat. 

"I'll pick up the rest tomorrow, and you'll stay here and rest." He touched her shoulder and stood, leaving his teacup half full. She jumped, hands flexing so that she almost knocked her tea over. "Relax. Do you take bourbon?" 

Rikku raised one eyebrow at him, and bit her lower lip in confusion. It was cuter than he wanted to admit to himself. "No, um. I usually don't drink. Why?" 

"Because you need to relax. This is just to help you sleep. Go ahead to the guest bedroom and get changed. First door to the right, next to the hall bathroom. Don't mind the instruments, just let me know if any are in your way." 

Rikku nodded and stood up, hopping from the tall barstool to her feet. A light headrush prevented her from walking right away, but it wasn't so bad, and at least her scalp wasn't bleeding anymore. She grabbed her bag from by the door, trying desperately to ignore the calm, powerful presence moving whisper-quiet in the kitchen. He didn't even _clink_. Normal people, when they moved around in the kitchen, they clinked something. Glass on the counter, cups on saucers, things being put into the sink for later washing. But no, the man did not clink. She shrugged her bag onto one shoulder and walked through the hallway, listening to the not-clinking behind her. Sure enough, the door next to the bathroom was cracked open, and inside, all manner of instruments were laid about, carefully, against the walls. Two electric guitars stood in stands near the wall next to a stack of speakers and amplification equiment, a keyboard stood next to those, and inside of a walk-in closet, there were drumsets and black cases covered with stickers. There was even a big stand-up bass leaning against the wall next to a dresser, and near the door where she'd come in was a big file cabinet, probably stuffed with sheet music, arrangements, books. It was at least three times as big as Tidus's, and there were stacks of material on music theory on top of it. It was like stepping into a music store, which for any true musician is like a candy store to a kid. Rikku grinned. So this is where all their manager's money went. And probably the government penchant he'd gotten for helping to find the Calm vaccine. 

In the corner, though, was a small bed, just a twin, which was sagging just a little under the weight of an instrument case the size and shape of a cello. Big enough for Rikku, but certainly not for the tall man who lived here. It was made up, blue blankets and pillows, a puffy green quilt. She wondered who it was for, who it had been for. Tidus, maybe? It was possible. Auron had looked after Tidus for the last few years, or however long it had been since Jecht had gone missing. 

She hefted the case off of the bed and leaned it against the only remaining spot on the wall, careful not to let it slip or knock into either of the guitar stands. Quickly, she changed into a pair of light cotton pants that would have to serve as sleepware, since she hadn't thought to grab anything else. There was an oversized sweater that could serve as her nightshirt. Good enough. But she wished she could put her hair up. Or at least itch the back of her head where the cut was. The pain had faded to a dull thump she only felt now and then, but it itched like crazy. 

"Are you decent?" came a voice through the door. Rikku shivered. That voice could drive a woman mad. And hell, she was already mad to have thoughts like that. She'd barely just left her boyfriend, and now she was starting to get attracted to someone else? Stupid. But she liked powerful men, men that looked dangerous and exciting and sexy. That was how she'd gotten into trouble the last time, though. Stupid. Stop thinking that way, Rikku. Auron could be a daddy-type figure, but he'd never be a lover. 

What was it she'd read about a while back? The cycle of abuse? And girls who stayed in abusive relationships tended to fall into more and more of them. She wasn't a dummy, she knew she was at risk for that kind of behavior. Maybe she'd be best off staying single. 

"Yeah, I'm dressed. Come in." And god, when he opened the door, she nearly flinched. Thinking of Auron as a lover, he suddenly became a frightening thing, exciting but scary, a window to pain and regret. But all he did was hold out the glass of bourbon to her until she took it, and walk away, closing the door behind him with a soft, "Good night." 

Still. After she drank the liquor, gulping it down until it burned her throat and made the center of her chest warm, she locked the door and jumped straight into bed. There was a window above the bed, so she got on her knees and checked it, made sure the locks were in place. Could never be too careful, she figured. And she cowered under the covers, curled up on her side, until the liquor in her stomach melted her bones, and her fear left her, and she dropped off into dreamless slumber. 


	4. Chapter 4

**

Son of Sin: Chapter 4

**

**Summary:**  
AU: Son of Sin is a popular band with an abusive lead singer. Can her love cure him? Or will she become his next victim? TidusxYuna, AuronxRikku. Rated R for violence, language, and (consentual) sex. 

**Warning and Disclaimer:**  
See Chapter 1.

* * *

Rikku was, by nature, a morning person. It came from living on an island right on Spira's equator, where the sun rose at pretty much the same time every morning no matter what season it was. She had been given to the sun at birth, and like most of her clansmen, she reveled in the first touch of rays on her skin. So she always slept on the east side of any place she stayed, and always woke precisely at sunrise. Even though she was in a different building now, she could still look out of the window above her temporary bed and watch the sun lift over the liquid horizon. Some men in orange coveralls were cleaning the sphere for an upcoming tournament game. Life was peaceful. And she could almost hear a faint melody, music floating through the apartment... 

No, wait. There _was_ music floating through the apartment. Quiet, as if Auron was trying not to wake her, but she could hear the soft plucking of an electric guitar with the volume turned way down, and a few synthesized violins were playing a constant rhythmic loop. The guitar paused as she listened, and some drumbeats were added to the violins. Rikku slipped out of bed and padded in bare feet to the door. Just as she opened it, the guitar started up again, and she could smell a waft of clove smoke coming from the living room. 

There he stood in nothing but black jeans, long hair tied in a thin ponytail that trailed down his back nearly to his ass. The only thing covering his chest was a leather guitar strap, and he was facing the window, strumming out a melody that he was apparently composing on the spot. A clove cigarette dangled from between his lips, and as she watched, he took a breath in and let it out through his nostrils, not pausing in the melody even to hold the thing. Rikku felt like she was witnessing a religious ceremony. Something twisted inside of her, deep down in the center between her hips, and she bit her lower lip. 

Watching Tidus sing, hearing it, that was a beautiful thing. But this was something different. Tidus was all emotion and flair, throwing his arms out and screaming lyrics, kneeling on the floor. This was... something Rikku couldn't quite figure out. If Tidus was moved by his music, Auron _was_ his music. His muscles pulsed with the chords, his entire body had the melody balanced. The chords and arpeggios he played trailed up his body, stood rooted on the floor with his strong legs, and he breathed the rhythm he played. He didn't move much, nothing was extraneous, no movement was unnecessary. This was a master at work. 

Despite the scars, despite the age, despite the morning shadow and the downright gruffness of the man, he was transformed in the hazy golden glow of morning into something beautiful. Something powerful and strong. This was a man who _knew_. She felt like he could take one look at her and play the music that kept her breathing. He could transform her very life force into song. 

Finally, he ended the melody, and hit a button on the synthesizer that must have told it to stop recording before he turned the machine off. Rested the guitar back in its stand. Waitwas that the guitar that had been in her room? The synthesizer that had been leaning against the wall, that she thought was just a regular keyboard? How did henevermind. Better not to question it. 

Especially not when she saw the light sheen of exhertion on his chest when he turned around. And that chest... he had better muscles under those designer clothes than she could have possibly imagined. Now she knew the meaning of the phrase "rippling muscles." Tidus had always looked a little blocky, a little too hard, but this man had sinew. His arms were corded with strength that rested for now, but screamed potential energy, and she had no doubt he could call that strength into action at a moment's notice. And that bluge... 

Auron took one last draw on his cigarette, then stubbed it out into an ashtray. "Good morning," he murmured. Fuck, she could have jumped him right then. 

"M-morning." She giggled a bit, then immediately turned it into a cough. Ugh. Nice going, sweetcakes. "Sorry. I feel kind of, um. Wierd, this morning." 

"Understandable. I apologize for my state of undress. Did I wake you?" he asked, walking over to one of the red armchairs to retrieve a blue cotton shirt. 

"Mm-mm, no. Not really," she said, looking at the floor until she could calm her breathing back down. "I always wake up at sunrise." Once he was safely dressed and moving toward the kitchen, she lifted her head. At least she could trust herself not to drool, now. 

Auron grunted, his version of an affirmative, and put a kettle of water on the burner. The room already had the faint smell and gurgle of coffee, and Rikku noticed that he had made himself a full five-cup pot. The man liked his caffiene, apparently. And besides, neither of them had had much sleep the night before. Once Rikku had seated herself at the kitchen bar, he started talking again. 

"Is there anything in particular you want from the apartment? I'm going over there for your things at eight." A glance up. "Feel free to make yourself at home, by the way. Anything in the fridge is yours, as well as in the pantry. Just don't touch my sake." 

"Um. Nothing in particular. Mostly I just have my clothes over there, and some random crap in a dresser. He can probably show you where it all is. Since I moved in with him and not the other way around, all the furniture's his." She stretched her arms out against the marble counter, then folded them so she could put her head down. The better she felt from the night before, the more queasy she felt in her gut. "I'm a little nervous," she admitted. "Like what if he's mad? Or what if he's upset? I'm kind of... I dunno." 

"I'm not going to tell you not to be nervous. You don't know what's going to happen, and you're anxious. It's natural," he said, and placed a steeping mug of tea in front of her, along with the cream pitcher and a jar of honey. "Honestly, I don't know how he's going to react either. That's why you're not coming along. If I know Tidus though, and I think I do, he'll be more upset than angry. He's always genuinely sorry when he does something stupid. It is genuine. But sorrow does not make up for an action, and he'd do it again if he were placed in the same situation. No matter how inane that situation is." Filling a big mug with coffee, he set it on the counter to cool, and sat down next to her, much as he had the night before. It was comfortable, though, being near him like that, especially with the sunlight on her back and good morning smells of coffee and tea in her nose. Her irrational fear from the night before was gone, evaporated with the sunlight. "All I can tell you is that I'll talk to him. I'll tell him that you're all right, and that you're in my care now. There's a possibility that he'll take that the wrong way, but that's his problem." 

Rikku took a moment to absorb what he was saying, and then her cheeks were pricked by a blush she couldn't control. "You mean, um. He'll think we're, um, uh, heh-heh..." 

"Lovers. Probably, yes. I will do my best to assure him to the contrary. Don't worry." 

Rikku nodded, and gave a pale smile. "Gotcha." And yet, she thought inwardly as she stared at her teacup, it's a shame that he can't tell Tidus that. It would be so nice to be loved by a man like this. A good man. One without issues to clean up. 

Unfortunately for Rikku, Auron was entirely serious. He finished the coffee in his mug, got up and walked to his room, and she could hear the faint static hiss of a shower from her seat. She had only just finished her tea and gotten a few slices of bread toasted for breakfast when he walked out, fully-dressed, his long hair wet but already tied back. It wasn't even eight yet. "He's not going to be awake this early, you know. He sleeps in." 

Auron shook his head, walking into the kitchen to retrieve the rest of his coffee and pour it into a large white insulated mug that said "nog" or "No9" on the side in weird script. It was nearly big enough to hang on his belt, for goodness sakes. "He's awake. I doubt he slept last night." 

"What are you, psychic or something?" Rikku drummed her fingers on the kitchen counter, watched the man sip scalding hot black coffee, and had to shake her head. Weird guy. 

"When it comes to him, sometimes. Call it intuition, call it knowing the boy well enough to predict his movements, but we have a connection. I know where he'll be. I know when I need to go to him. I know when I need to hit him a few times so that he'll sober up and become himself again. There's a darkness in Tidus. He's in control of his actions some of the time, but when that darkness appears, well." Auron pointed to the back of his head, where Rikku's cut was, then wrapped both hands around his mug and took a sip. "You know this as well as I. When it happens, he's not Tidus anymore." 

Rikku winced and nodded, nibbling in tiny mouse bites on her toast. "You think he's, what, schizophrenic or something? I mean, cause, you're right and all. I've noticed that too. His voice even changes." 

"It's not schizophrenia, or multiple personality disorder. Nothing like that. He's fully conscious of the change. He just taps into a portion of himself that doesn't care about the consequences of his actions. He causes it. The man who hurts you is Tidus Shuyi, just... another facet of him. One that isn't capable of love or regret. And since he can have no regrets in that state, he can feel no pain." Auron sighed, and grabbed his wallet from the counter to stick it into his trenchcoat. "Did he ever tell you why he does it?" 

"No. Something about his dad, that's all he'll ever say. Then he'd get really quiet and leave or make threats, so I never really tried asking." It was almost embarassing to admit this, the way it was embarassing to admit that she stayed with him after he hit her the first few times. Like she had no will of her own. Rikku worried what Auron must think of her now. 

"I would have assumed as much," he said, but of course he wasn't referring to any fault on Rikku's part. "It does have something to do with his father, yes. I would explain it further, but I choose not to reveal the secrets of others. I'm sorry, I hope you understand." 

Rikku shrugged. "No, it's okay. I mean, I'd like to know, but it would maybe be better if I didn't have any more to think about when it comes to him. I just kind of want to get away from him as anything other than a bandmate. Can we talk about other stuff, from here on out?" 

Auron grunted, and nodded. That damn sexy grunt of his. "A wise choice," he said, and grabbed his keys. Rikku started nibbling on her toast again while he hunted for a bag to carry her things in, to hide the fact that she'd be staring at him otherwise. "I should be back shortly. Are you certain there's nothing in particular that you need?" 

"Just... come back soon? I don't want to be here alone." 

He gave a little half-bow, locked the door, and left.

* * *

_"Understand what you need to do, and you may survive."_

Tidus Shuyi was currently not a happy celebrity. His head ached, his eyes were dry, and he was nauseous from all the asprin he'd taken on an empty stomach, to try and get rid of the pounding in his skull. The night before, he'd bashed his head against the wall, unknowingly hurting himself in the exact same spot that Rikku had been hurt, until he'd almost passed out from the shock. "Way to go, Shuyi. Do something stupid, and you nearly give yourself a concussion," he grumbled, as he fished through the fridge for some cold cuts to make a sandwich. Anything to stop the twisting inside his gut. Then, the doorbell rang, and he dropped a slice of cheese on the kitchen floor, grabbing his temples. Too damn loud. 

"Just a minute," he called, trying to ignore pain caused by the sound of his own voice. He threw away the cheese and closed the fridge, promising his roiling stomach food as soon as he'd gotten rid of whomever it was. It couldn't have been Rikku, since she'd have just come in without ringing the doorbell. And he didn't think he'd forgotten to pay the rent. Not that it mattered, since he could cover late bill fees anyway. 

_"Do what you need to do, and you will succeed."_

But as he opened the door and saw who it was, he froze, and started to back slowly away. Auron was standing with a black garbage bag in one hand and, backlit by the risen sun, he looked awesome and fear-inspiring. "Auron... oh, god, I... what are you doing here?" His voice squeaked on the last word, and he grabbed at his head again, cringing in pain from the sound. 

Luckily, Auron's bass voice was usually low and soothing, and apparently, he wasn't in a yelling mood. "I came to collect some things. Are you all right?" 

Tidus sighed and backed away from the door to let the man in, closing it behind him. "No. I had a fight with Rikku last night, and I did something stupid. Again. She's left me for good this time, old man. I'm an idiot." 

"I know," said Auron, walking into the living room. He paused near the computer desk to stare down at the small bloodstain, and for a moment, his face contorted with rage. But he collected himself too quickly for Tidus to really notice the expression. 

"Wait," said Tidus, "You know I'm an idiot, or you know Rikku left me?" 

"Both." Auron looked up at the boy and tilted his head forward, so that Tidus could see the eye behind the sunglasses. "I saw her walking down your street last night, and I brought her home with me. She's eating breakfast right now. I've come to take her belongings back to her." 

_"Forget what you need to do, and you will die an empty death."_

Tidus went very still, and very quiet, as the news sank in. Auron began to peer around the room, picking up things that were obviously feminine, things he'd possibly noticed Rikku wearing or using before during practices. He took her sheet music, the coat she'd hung on a chair, a few of her books, her green schoolbag that was full of knitting supplies. A clawed glove, her weapon of choice for getting through fiends whenever she traveled outside of Luca. A bikini she'd left hanging in the bathroom to dry after a swim. Toiletries and feminine products in the bathroom cabinet. As Auron started looking around the couple's bedroom, Tidus seemingly came to his senses and followed the older man in, helping by pulling open certain drawers and piling things from a closet onto the bed. They didn't speak as they worked, slowly moving about the room, stripping it of its Rikku-like essence. A poster came off the wall, a cactuar and a cait sith fell from a bookshelf into the bag. Tidus pulled one of Rikku's traveling cases from the closet and filled it with folded clothes. They brought everything outside and stuffed it into the black Coeurl, then walked back in. Tidus made himself sandwiches, and Auron sipped from his coffee mug. They sat together on the couch. Tidus was the first to speak. He hadn't touched his food. 

"She all right?" 

Auron nodded, sipped his coffee. "She's fine. Physically. I disinfected the cut, and it turned out to be fairly shallow. The bruises on her neck should fade in a few days. She was... emotional, for a time. She's better now. She let out what she needed to. She can't stand to think of you, though, and there are times when she fears me. It shows in her eyes. You've made her skittish, boy, like a wounded animal. But she's resiliant. She will heal, in time. I'll help her as much as I'm able." Another sip of coffee. 

Tidus nodded, and took a bite of his sandwich. As soon as he knew she was all right, he felt a little better. Not any less guilty. That wouldn't go away until she forgave him, which he almost hoped wouldn't happen. Then he wouldn't feel like he could do something like that again. As long as she kept a wall between them. But where she was now, she was still scared. Was there a wall like that between her and Auron? And why was she scared of the old man? Unless... "Where is she sleeping? With you?" 

Auron paused, as if to contemplate what answer to give. But Tidus knew his secrets. "Scott's room," he replied. 

The younger man nodded, and gave Auron a moment of peace to recover after the confession. Saying his dead son's name had always been a difficult matter with Auron, and Tidus generally tried his best not to bring up the delicate subject. Then came the question Auron had been expecting. "So you're not together?" 

"No, we aren't." Flatly, simply, negative. 

"That's too bad. She's pretty, Auron. She's beautiful." Tidus sighed and slumped forward, burying his face in his hands. "I do love her, you know. Just... not enough, I guess. Not enough to change. I'm such a fucktard." 

Auron couldn't disagree with that. The boy was taking this better than he'd expected. But something was up. He could see it, in the way Tidus kept sneaking glances at him. He could hear it in the lilt of Tidus's voice. "What are you thinking, boy?" 

_"You need to kill me."_

Tidus grinned and stared at his food, head tilted down so that a sheet of golden-dyed hair fell in front of his eyes. He poked a finger into his sandwich, then traced the hole he'd made in the bread. Tapped the plate with his nail. "You should be together. With her. She's beautiful. She needs someone, deserves someone better than me." 

_"You need to kill the piece of me inside of you."_

More than anything that had happened so far, more than the bizarre facts of the whole situation, that threw Auron for a loop. If he had not been more in control of himself, he would have sputtered, or at least spit his coffee out in surprise. As it was, he just lowered the mug into his lap, held it with both hands. Took a slow breath. "You do realize that you just suggested that a thirty-seven-year-old man should sleep with a fifteen-year-old girl. I was married I had a two-year-old son, when she was born. What are you thinking, boy?" 

Tidus shrugged, still keeping his hair between his face and Auron's good eye. "I'm thinking that she needs someone she can trust. Who can take care of her. I'm thinking that she's older than her age, partially because of all I've done to her. I'm also thinking that you need a woman in your life. It's been ten years since Sheila and Scott died, Auron. Sure there's an age gap, but the maturity's there. She's legal, according to Al Bhed laws." 

"Not according to the rest of Spira." 

"Holy chokoshit, old man!" Tidus yelled, throwing his hands up, "You're immune to most of Spira's laws! You're the only living researcher of the Calm. You're a major record producer. You're even remembered by a lot of people for being a warrior monk samauri dude before all that _and_ fighting fiends with the best of them, I mean come on!" 

Auron grunted and stood, mug in one hand and keys in the other. "I'm not going to listen to this. Your logic is unquestionably one-sided, and I don't see a reason to even consider what you're suggesting. Good day." 

But as the older man started to leave, Tidus's voice deepened, and what he said stopped Auron in his tracks. "Then I'll just have to find some way to get her back myself, won't I?" 

"She wouldn't come back to you," Auron responded. But his voice was quiet, dangerous, and he was standing with potential energy in his stance. "So why would you say that?" 

"Because if she's no one else's, then she is mine. She's the kind of girl who needs a man. And she'll want one until she's claimed." Tidus Shuyi stood, setting his plate down on the couch. The tension was palpable. "Wouldn't you agree?" 

"I suppose if that's how you see it," Auron responded, turning around to stare into Tidus Shuyi's eyes, "that's your perogative. But I don't believe she needs to be 'claimed' just yet. However, if you're threatening to harrass a person in my care, then I will have to take drastic action." 

"I thought I was in your care," Tidus shot back, eyes narrowed. He always did that when he fought with Auron, since it was an action the older man couldn't copy. 

"You are. Which is why I've kept you from killing yourself. And which is why I'm going to prevent you from hurting this girl again, if only to keep you from hurting yourself by hurting her." But Tidus didn't budge. They stood that way for several moments, each waiting for the other to back down. 

Finally, Tidus came back to himself and put his hands on his face, sighing. Auron's shoulders relaxed, but he didn't leave the boy yet. There was still more to say, and Tidus said it. "I don't want Yuna to know. About all this. Not yet." 

"She will not." 

"Oh come off it, old man, she'll figure it out. When she calls here for her cousin, and finds out Rikku's at your place? When she sees the bruises on Rikku's neck at practice tonight? She'll want to know why. We can't keep this hidden from her for long, not without some kind of explanation." 

The boy made sense, but becoming a child's lover was not the kind of excuse Auron wanted to have to give. "Rikku can wear a scarf. And we'll just tell Yuna that she broke up with you and moved out. She doesn't need to know it's my apartment, and I simply won't answer the phone." A pause. "No, that sounds foolish even to me. Fine. We'll propogate the rumor that she left you for me. But I will not bed a child." 

Tidus raised an eyebrow and folded his arms, with a little half-grin plastered to his face. "Good enough for me. But it'll be pretty hard to pretend to be lovers without doin' it, a couple of high-profile people like you. Sure you don't want to get a little nookie out of the deal? She's really good in the sack. And I mean really good, once she sets her mind to it." 

Auron closed his eye and shook his head, giving a little laugh-grunt at the idea. "It's like you're trying to pimp her out. Or find a good home for a dog." Tidus, Auron noted with appreciation, shifted a bit at the idea. 

"It's not that. She's not a dog or a whore or anything. But she needs love, she deserves it. So do you. I've been thinking about this for a while, actually. When I'm, you know," he scratched his head, bending his gaze to the ground, "okay. What I'm saying is, I think that you two would be good for each other. And maybe, even if you just start pretending to be lovers. Maybe you'll be happier together. That's all. That's all I'm saying." Tidus blew out a puff of air, and looked up at his guardian one last time. "Thanks for telling me she's okay. Tell her I am, too. And... for what it's worth, I'm sorry. She's your girl now, Auron, even if you don't acknowledge it. Take care of her." 

_"Find a way to break the cycle."_

With that, the conversation ended, and Auron took his leave. The situation had become even more peculiar than he'd imagined. Now, not only did he have two young people to look after, he was supposed to carry on a fake romance with one. What was Spira coming to? 


	5. Chapter 5

**

Son of Sin: Chapter 4

**

**Summary:**  
AU: Son of Sin is a popular band with an abusive lead singer. Can her love cure him? Or will she become his next victim? TidusxYuna, AuronxRikku. Rated R for violence, language, and (consentual) sex. 

**Warning and Disclaimer:**  
See Chapter 1. 

Author's Notes: _"My Guardian" and "Kid Summoner" is a reference to the My Buddy/Kid Sister dolls of the 80s and 90s._

* * *

It was fun, poking around Auron's apartment. She guessed it was hers too now, in a sense. But looking around the front room at bookshelves, peeking under couch cushions, checking through his SVD collection (he did have an SV, it was just hidden in a cabinet - weird), it all felt like she was a criminal who'd broken and entered, and it gave her a bit of a rush. She had even gone so far as to peer into his bedroom, since the door was open, just to see what it looked like. The room was dark, but she could make out a big green four-poster bed, king sized and immaculately made up, a big wardrobe, some shadowed portraits on the wall, and there was probably a walk-in closet outside of her range of sight. She didn't dare go inside, though. Just in case. Like maybe he had hidden spy cameras all around the room or something. 

One educational thing the search had led to, though, was her knowledge of her own current living space. The reason he'd been able to get his instruments out of the room while she'd been sleeping was not that he'd broken in somehow, but that the lock didn't work at all. Stupid lock. But now she felt a little better, oddly enough. She couldn't keep him out while she was sleeping, but she knew for certain now that he wouldn't try anything, even if he did have the power. And though she was a fairly light sleeper, he'd managed to move some rather heavy pieces of equipment without even waking her. So he was courteous, too. Another few points to his credit. 

And oh, the man had power. Another thing she'd noticed in the living room, draped with an old white blanket, was a workout machine. She usually figured out machina things with ease, since she'd spent most of her childhood taking electronics apart with Brother, but this monstrosity was incredible! There were gismos and wires and you name it, but once she hunted around on the cabinet where the SV was, she found the instruction manual. Whoever had designed the thing was a genius, she figured. So she set about changing from her oversized sweater into a light tshirt, buckled down, and tried the thing out. Problem was, the weights were set to the strength level of a two-hundred-something-pound man! So she grabbed a sheet of paper out of a notebook and a pencil, wrote down everything he'd set the thing to, and settled in for a workout. Every time she used one of the machine's functions, she wrote her weight level down next to Auron's, and set it back for him. If Rikku was going to live in the guy's apartment for free _and_ use his stuff, the least she could do was be conscientious. Besides, she wanted to get a little stronger, too. She was tired of looking like the weak girl with a big man around to protect her. She'd remained in Luca for so long that she was out of shape, just from the lack of fighting fiends. 

That's how Auron found her when he walked in, the black garbage bag over his shoulder like some crazy Santa, and a small suitcase under his other arm. At the sight of her, he had to drop everything, and it took some willpower to keep the black bag from spilling all of its contents. With the bright morning sunlight heating up the room, Rikku was lying on a towel on the floor doing crunches, sweating so hard that her white shirt was drenched with sweat. He could see the girl's nipples. No, not girl. That was decidedly _not_ the body of a girl. Maybe Tidus was right in his suggestion. Or maybe Auron was just a horny old man with a girl lying prone on his living room hardwood floor. The idea to take her right there fluttered through his addled brain, and he quickly shut it out. Now was not the time to become immersed in fantasy. Tidus's suggestion or no, she wouldn't want him. 

"Rikku, would you mind?" he asked, trying to be pleasant, but it came out gruff. Which was better than it would have been if he had spoken in such a way that his lust would have been obvious. Better that she think he was from the hell of curmudgeony old men, than a pedophile. 

Immediately, the girl sprang to attention, scrambling from the towel. She looked worried, hesitant at first, but it was probably because she was worried he'd be mad at her for using his things. "It's all right," he said, still trying to quell the stirring in his groin. Her breasts were still obvious even though she was turned away from the sun. Now, though, he could see the way they hung on her body, the fine outlines of her pectorals. Thank the gods he always wore a trenchcoat. "You can use the Mageflex, I don't mind. I was just wondering if you could help me carry the rest of your things from the car." 

"Oh!" she squeaked, nodding rapidly. She dashed over to help him (oh ye gods, now she was jiggling, running and jiggling and bouncing sexual softness, and he had to get to the bathroom before she noticed the lump in his trousers), and struggled to bring the suitcase to her room, guessing correctly that the black bag of stuff would have been too heavy for her. "We're going to have to do something about all these instruments, you know? I mean, there's not room for all this stuff and walking space too." 

"I'll move some of them into the front, and some of them into my room. We'll fix it before you go to bed tonight." Fuck, to bed. Oh, he'd take her to bed. Mind out of the gutter, old man. You're wasting your time. Damn you, Tidus, for putting those thoughts in my head... 

"Okay. Oh, um." She looked down at herself. Well, at least she'd finally noticed. Now the problem would be fixed. Auron fought back a sigh of relief. "Listen, I'm kind of indecent for going down to the parking lot. If you just bring everything up here to the door, I'll go ahead and bring it to my room. Unless you want to wait for me to take a shower and change?" 

Shower? Yes, shower. Out, damning images, out. "I'll bring them up. There's not much more left, only two suitcases. You just work on getting settled. The chest of drawers in the closet, behind the drumset, is empty. You can use that, and the closet, for your own purposes." 

"Okay. And Auron?" 

"Hm?" 

"How's Tidus?" 

Auron paused, looked down at the hand in which he still held his keys. He promised the boy that he would pretend to be having an affair with Rikku, just to get everyone off the boy's back. They would need to discuss that... issue. But not yet. "He's fine. I was right, in that he was more upset over having hurt you than he was mad that you left. He agrees that it's for the best. But we'll discuss this more when I get back." He turned around and left without waiting for a response, just so that he could get far enough away from her to let his prick deflate. Living with a girl like that was going to be trouble, that was certain. If nothing else, he was going to have a bad case of blue balls for the rest of his ill-fated life. 

Rikku, on the other hand, was ecstatic. Once he was out of the door and well out of hearing range, she started jumping around on her toes, pointing her index fingers in the air. "He got a haaard-on from loooking at meee!" If there was one thing she had learned from her years living with Tidus, it was how to tell whether a guy was horny even if he was intent on not showing it. Just for that, she'd be wearing this shirt all day, and doing the work-out thing without a bra all the time. Oh, no, she wasn't a cock-tease. Not at all. But there was a difference between accidentally inviting a man to touch you, and doing it on purpose. And breaking into Auron's hard-ass exterior was well worth it. 

Granted, it probably wasn't anything more than that. No way would he want to date her, much less have sex with her. He could probably have his pick of older women, people like Lulu with maturity and poise. But still, she could at least have fun while she was able. Hell, he'd shown her his sweaty sexy body that morning, and it nearly killed her. It was high time she got a little payback. Rikku grinned and decided on that course of action. Since there was no one around to gossip with yet, she held up her left hand and slapped it with her right, before dancing back over to the room he'd lent her. She flicked the closet light on, squeezed past the drum set, and started dumping some of the things from the suitcase into the chest of drawers he'd mentioned, underwear and jeans and sleep stuff. Though how Auron was going to tote the chest to a place that would actually leave her some closet space, she couldn't know. But there was a long mounted wooden shelf above the clothing rack, empty except for a fewwait, what were those? Rikku stood on her tip-toes and grabbed at something that was red and shining. 

What she pulled down made her breath catch. It was a toy. A plastic red fire-engine, complete with bells. The ladder had been mangled as if a dog had chewed on it, but it was otherwise in perfect condition. When she turned it over in her hands, she saw a few marker letters in an uncertain child's script. "Scott," it said. When Rikku looked back up at where the train had been, and stepped back, she saw a host of similar toys crowded into one corner of the closet shelf, including a deflated blitzball with the Kilika Beasts logo, a chewed-up G.I. Ohalland, a bucket of Legos. There was even a big doll lying on its side, a My Guardian doll of a boy with curly black hair and overalls, and big brown eyes. Rikku smiled. She had had a Kid Summoner doll too, with blonde hair and green eyes that even correctly portrayed the Al Bhed spiraling pupils. Every little girl and boy she knew had wanted one just like that when she was a kid, a Guardian or a Summoner just like in the Spiran armies, to protect them from the dangers of the world and the closet. She put the train up and finished unpacking her suitcase, but changed into a different shirt before she walked back out. Now she knew there was no way in hell that Auron would want a girl like her. Not when he'd probably had a son that would be her age right about now. And if Auron was sentimental enough to keep the boy's toys, and his bed... well, Rikku was a smarter girl than most people gave her credit for. She could put two and two together. Auron's kid, this little boy named Scott, had probably died when he was still young enough to sleep in a small bed. 

No, this wasn't a man she should even think about fooling around with. She really could be his daughter, and hell, maybe she'd even have dated his son, had the boy survived. She could kick herself for being proud of teasing a man like that, especially when he was being so nice to her. Things were just too complicated. 

After she'd changed and hung her sweat-soaked garments on the rails of the bed, she stepped softly out of the bedroom to find two suitcases as well as the big black bag resting in the hallway near her door, and Auron visible in the kitchen. He was apparently cooking something in the oven, and warm smells were wafting from where he stood, stirring a cup of sugar into a pitcher of tea with ice and sliced lemons. Rikku smiled. The man certainly didn't live like a typical bachelor. 

"I'm going to leave this stuff until we get the drumset moved out of the closet, if that's okay," she said as she approached the kitchen, rubbing at an itch on her scalp, careful not to scratch. The cut from the night before was healing fast, at least, but it was going to drive her crazy before it healed completely. 

"That's fine," he replied. Auron looked over at her and paused, blinking his one good eye slowly behind the sunglasses. He was apparently relieved that she had changed her shirt, and as she made her way over to the counter, he nodded, as if having come to a conclusion in an internal debate. "Rikku, we need to talk. When I spoke with Tidus today, he requested something of me that I could not refuse. However, this request includes your participation. If you can help me find a way to get around it, I'd be obliged." 

Rikku tilted her head and folded her arms, leaning against the kitchen counter. What was the guy getting at? "Okay, spill." 

Auron paused and sighed, stowing the iced tea pitcher in the fridge before walking towards the living room. With a grunt, he flopped onto the couch, and waved an arm at her, inviting her to join him. She pressed her lips together and followed, a little hesitant. Whatever this was, it was something even Auron was hesitant to speak of, and that made Rikku nervous. 

"This is a little embarassing," Auron began, leaning forward, elbows on his thighs. With his head tilted forward, gaze tracing the grain of the wooden floorboards, Rikku could clearly make out the scar sealing his right eye shut. It wasn't as garish as he probably thought, just pale skin over whole, the lashes sticky with that kind of normal eye moisture that couldn't be easily wiped away because of the scar, but it did look painful. And for it to come from directly inside of you, to feel the poison that was Sin, eating away at your cells and nerve endings, like a cancer in reverse. Rikku could hardly imagine it. It had eaten away at the eyeball first, she knew that much, and then started at the skin, stretching vertically over the surface of his face, trailing a path of destruction down his body. Auron was lucky it hadn't gotten into his brain, the way it did with so many victims. The way it had killed Yuna's dad, eating at his cerebral cortex just as he began the replication process for the vaccine. Braska had been mentally dead before his heart stopped beating. 

After a few moments, Auron spoke again, not even noticing that Rikku was lost in her own thoughts. "Your ex-lover has taken a strange idea into his head, one of which I'm sure you will not approve any more than I do. He seems to believe that we are... how shall I put this? Suited to each other." At that, the girl perked up, blinking rapidly. Auron couldn't have just said what she thought he'd said. That Tidus thought they were a good match? Impossible! "Not only that, but he threatened to try to take you back if I did not take you to bed." Auron grunted, curling his upper lip and drawing his eyebrows together as well as he could. "Once he realized that his threat would do no good, he did, unfortunately, bring a logical argument to my attention. It would not due for Yuna to know the reason for your breakup, and since you are now living with me, the only reasonable way to keep her ignorant of Tidus's... problems... is for her to believe that you left him for me." 

Holy shit. Holy... shit. That's all Rikku could think of to say, so she said it. "Holy shit." 

Auron chuckled lightly, his broad shoulders bouncing with wry mirth. "Indeed. Now I grant you, the affair would be fake. I have no intention of forcing you into an actual relationship. But unless you can think of something else, I'm afraid we're stuck with this dilemma." 

Rikku stood for a few moments, stunned, before she found her voice. "But... that's insane! Why would he even think of us getting together? I mean, you're... and I'm... and you had a" Immediately, the girl clapped both hands over her mouth. When Auron simply stared at her with a questioning eyebrow raised, she grinned and shrugged, cheeks growing pink. "Sorry. I, um. I'm really sorry. I saw the toys in my closet, and drew conclusions. Scott was your son, right?" 

The man nodded, but he suddenly looked weary. As if the bags under his eyes were more pronounced, the gray Sin-caused streaks in his hair suddenly a little more noticable. He stood up and moved back into the kitchen, leaving her to ponder his reaction. 

"No need to apologize. He died ten years ago, along with his mother. My wife, Sheila. Sin, of course. That's when I decided to turn away from the warrior monks to begin researching the cure with Braska. I found them lying in his bed. They died... peacefully. There was no pain. It helps, to know that. But Rikku, that's all I'll say about it. Please don't bring it up again." 

She nodded, and sat down on the couch, looking out the window. He really was an all right guy. Short and to the point, explained what needed to be explained, but avoided any emotional involvement. Ten years ago, and he still had his kid's toys. And even though she was sleeping in a bed where people had died, it didn't seem scary or disturbing. The Al Bhed had always had a healthy respect for the dead, which was part of why they never visited the Farplane. That bed was a memory for him. Like the scar over his eye and down his neck and chest, it was a reminder of what was really important. Rikku liked him a little more for keeping it. 

"Um, thanks. For telling me. Sorry if I brought up anything painful. We all lost something, you know? Like my parents. They didn't die together, though. Sin killed Mom, and Dad... god, he went crazy. He was always a little nuts, but that really threw him over the edge, especially with Yunie's mom, my Dad's only sis, gone. He kissed me and Brother on the head, got into an airship with my Mom's body, and crashed it into a mountain. I'm still kind of sore at the idiot for that, but you know. Um. Yeah." She winced. That was her response? She felt terrible for putting it like that. She felt worse for bringing it up in the first place. But there was something about talking about Sin that had to be gone through with every new person you got to know. It was like a ritual. The first night she'd slept with Tidus, they'd stayed up late, talking about what Sin had done to them. Well, it was more Rikku talking, then. Tidus had said something about his mother, then about Auron's eye, then stopped talking as if someone had clamped a metal sheet over his mouth. Still, though. Everyone had to go through this conversation sometime or other. Else it was like you didn't know a person, couldn't be intimate with them or trust them at all. So now, Rikku knew, she could really talk to Auron. Rikku felt more at ease, and bounced into the kitchen to try his tea. Thinking about Sin, though, she'd almost forgotten about the problem at hand. But not quite. As she sipped a glass, commenting on how well he'd sweetened it, Auron just worked at the oven, removing a warm instant pizza that was absolutely covered in meat, so much so that the cheese was barely visible. Rikku grinned. He was a carnivore, that was certain. 

"So anyway," she started, "Tidus. He expects us to just kinda act like we're going out, right? I don't see the big deal, Auron." 

She got a stern look for that, and instead of reacting at first, he set about pulling out plates and getting himself a glass of tea. "The 'big deal' is this. You reputation is on the line, as is mine. We have the problem of explaining this to Yuna, which will not be much easier than explaining the true causes of your breakup would have been. We have to do this, mind you, without alerting the rest of SOS to the actual problem, though I've a feeling that Lulu will figure things out easily enough." 

"Yeah, and she can just nudge Wakka in the opposite direction. He's too whipped to think it out for himself." Rikku grinned and nibbled on a slice of pizza, letting some of the extraneous meat fall onto the plate. Really, she'd have to do some grocery shopping for the guy. He needed more vegetables in his life. 

"I agree. The final problem is one we need to plan out in advance, however. That is, how we're to be seen in public. Since I am not known to display... affection openly, this shouldn't be a problem for me, at least." 

Oh, right. There was that. Rikku fought the urge to blush, and gulped down her bite so that she could speak politely. "Yeah, but. You know. I'm kind of, ahh. Clingy. And huggy. And kissy. The gang knows that, even Yunie." Oh, now this was getting to be embarassing. Auron was nodding like he knew what she was talking about, but he was probably disgusted by the fact that he'd have to suffer through a fake relationship with a really touchy-feely kinda girl. Rikku winced. He could get a hard-on for her, sure, but she had the feeling that this was going to tease her more than him. Maybe she needed to go on the prowl and find another guy to replace Tidus, if that was what Tidus really wanted. For her to replace him. But that still didn't make sense. 

"I suppose that will be necessary, yes. I'm sorry if the idea is disagreeable to you. If you can think of something else, I'll be happy to listen." Wait, why was he getting that wry ironic tone in his voice? Where'd that come from? 

Rikku blinked, and realized that her thoughts had been showing on her face, and her mouth was scrunched up, eyebrows squished together. "Oh, no! That's not what I, uh. I was just thinking that you'd probably hate it if I started climbing all over you at practice. Or like, holding onto your arm. Or anything." Arg, shut up, Rikku! Gods, I probably sound like an idiot... 

Auron shrugged. "I do not display affection openly. That doesn't mean that I dislike being the recipient. I wonder, though. There may be a way... yes. That might work." 

Doesn't mean I dislike being the recipient? Was that supposed to be his way of saying it was fine? Rikku was starting to feel a little better about the situation, but still. Something felt a little off. "What might work?" 

"You know already that I normally show up to practice early, but that I don't leave my office until about halfway through, or if I think that someone needs me. The simplest solution would be if you were in the office with me when the rest of SOS arrives." 

Was that a smirk on his face? Oh, now Rikku couldn't help but blush. Then again, the images flashing through her head weren't helping. The kind of things he was trying to imply... she saw a flash of herself bent over a desk, or held up against a door, sweat and skin on rough skin. She gulped. "Yeah. I think that'd, um. Do the trick." Bah! He was doing it again, the bastard, turning her on with just a few words and a smirk on his lips. Big, full lips that pouted when he bent his head. She'd get him back. That was it. She'd have to get him back. "But don't you think they'd figure out that it was faked if we don't, you know, do anything at all in public? Or if we do something, and it's totally unreal?" 

Auron raised an eyebrow and set his empty plate in the sink, rinsing it out while Rikku gawked at the fact that he'd already eaten three-quarters of a pizza. "How do you mean?" 

"Well, um." She licked her lips, suddenly nervous about her idea. "I already mentioned that I'm really huggy and kissy. Well, what if I'm all caught up in the act, and I do the huggy-kissy thing, and you're all like 'Get away from me!' because you don't expect it? Or something." 

Auron grunted and cast a level look at her, folding his arms. "Are you suggesting we practice?" 

"Um." She kicked the floor, scuffing the sole of her shoe on the white tile. "No good?" 

"Are you certain?" 

Wait, was that...? Rikku looked up at him. He'd dropped his arms to his sides and was standing just a fraction closer than he had been before, looking at her with a kind of lazy curiosity. Rikku gulped again, then made a snap decision. Before she could change her mind, she closed the distance between them, clambered up the big man's body so that she could wrap her arms around his neck, and set her lips against his. It was an awkward kiss, not something that would have looked normal to anyone watching, but it was... nice, once she'd let herself relax into it. There weren't any probing tongues or soft moans, but she felt herself melt into him for a moment, and he put one hand against her back, partially to hold her up against him, since her toes were at least a foot off the ground. He responded just a little, and she moved her lips against his, feeling the texture of the skin, the rough scraggle of his stubble against her chin and upper lip. When she pulled away, their lips stuck together for a second before separating completely. He bent down a little to ease her to the floor, and she stepped back, wrapping her arms around her middle. It was nothing like the heavy saltwater passion of kissing Tidus. Nothing like the sloppy wet puppy-dog kisses of boyfriends before Tidus. That twisting feeling between her hips came back, along with a deep-down tickle. For an action entirely without passion, an experimental kiss that meant nothing and would result in nothing, it had managed to turn Rikku on, churn her insides and make her wet, more than an hour of foreplay with Tidus had ever done. And that scared her. 

"Right. Well, um. That'll work. I'm gonna go... take a shower now. Thanks for pizza!" She turned around and ran, leaving her single slice half-eaten. Auron stood where she'd left him, slightly bewildered, aching for more of that kind of human contact he thought he'd lost forever. 


End file.
